What Had Happened WasTrending stories on the intersections of race, sports & culture

NBABROOKLYN, NY – JUNE 22: LaVar Ball, LaMelo Ball and LiAngelo Ball pose for a portrait with Lonzo Ball after being drafted number two overall to the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2017 NBA Draft on June 22, 2017 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE via Getty Images)Photo by Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE via Getty Images

The Ball family empire expands to Facebook

4:15 PMWe are one step closer to the Balldashians ruling the entertainment world. Back when LaVar Ball and his band of boys and brothers burst onto the national scene, it was clear to some of us which route they were taking. For those who could see clearly what the father of Lonzo, LiAngelo and LaMelo was doing, the next step was obvious: reality TV. Now, with the launch of a new docuseries set to debut on Facebook, that plan is coming together.

I tried to tell you all about the Balldashian Empire awhile back on ESPN Radio. We’re not quite there yet, because in my fantasy world, the logical extreme must be played out. We must have an actual partnership between the two families. Be they business or love-related, or both. It’s gotta happen.

Many people seem to believe the Kardashians are career-killers, as evidenced by quite a bit of historical fact. Heck, Rashad McCants even went so far as to openly blame Khloe for his inability to make $70M in the NBA. That’s, of course, completely insane. McCants averaged 10 points a game in the league. Now, he’s chilling comfortably in Ice Cube’s BIG3 league.

This isn’t some stunt from Facebook, either. This series, which will highlight the Ball family, is the second installment in the company’s as-yet-launched original programming lineup, according to Deadline. Meaning, this ain’t your uncle making FB Live videos of himself singing Peabo Bryson songs in his Cadillac on the way to Bible study. They’re talking about competing with the Netflix- and Amazon-type operations of the world.

The past week has been fruitful for America’s Foremost Basketball Family. The new Lonzos (aka the ZO2s) dropped in Independence Day colors and people genuinely liked them, as if that was somehow a surprise. Now they’re inking deals with the majors when it comes to video content.

People tried to act like LaVar was insane when he said Big Baller Brand was going to be worth $1B. Well, you know how many users Facebook has worldwide? You guessed it.

The Morning Roast: 7/2/17

Every now and again the job takes me on the road, which means if it’s a weekend, I’ve got to pack up the radio equipment and get to it. This week, that meant it was two of us on the West Coast, with Mina Kimes being in Los Angeles as per usual. Needless to say, my disposition was a tad different.

Hour 1

We started things off by breaking down what happened in the Manny Pacquiao-Jeff Horn boxing match, which was majorly controversial. Basically, Horn had no business winning and everyone believes the fix was in because the Australian government was responsible for making this fight happen. Personally, I think there’s an argument that controversy isn’t the worst thing for boxing because it at least gets people talking, but then again, why bother if everything is fake and people are lying?

Of course, there was the NBA to discuss, with free agency beginning July 1. The Paul George trade was a huge shocker to most of us who had no idea that Oklahoma City was even considering picking up the Indiana Pacers guard. The ripple effects of that across the league are obvious, but still. Wow.

ESPN Thunder reporter Royce Young joined us to discuss the specifics, and just what that fan base is expecting going forward.

Hour 2

ESPN Radio’s Myron Medcalf came along to break down the boxing match, and he had some pretty strong words. Quite a few people think that the fight largely sullied the reputation of the sport since the outcome seemed so patently unfair. We talked to him about whether this would affect the sport overall, and we also discussed the Conor McGregor-Floyd Mayweather fight.

We got back into the NBA and the situation surrounding the New York Knicks, who are in complete free fall. After getting rid of team president Phil Jackson, their future is really in question. There are people who believe LeBron James & Company might end up at Madison Square Garden, too.

Since I told you weeks ago that the Boston Celtics were not in an easy spot regarding their offseason — despite top draft picks and cap space being oh so valuable, apparently — they missed out on Jimmy Butler, and with George in Oklahoma City, things are looking dicey regarding what general manager Danny Ainge is doing. Are they building for the future or trying to win right now? Because as constituted, they can’t do both at the same time. ESPN’s Chris Forsberg joined us to discuss their fate.

Of course, we had to do Top Five. And since the Clippers decided they wanted to put Blake Griffin’s face on a T-shirt along with Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King and so many others to try to keep him in Los Angeles, we thought it’d be a good idea to name our own personal “pioneers” who we’d want to see our faces with. Mina went way off the board, and it was hilarious.

Hour 3

The almighty Adrian Wojnarowski joined us to recap the free-agent signing period, and he was not here for the games. He’s new to ESPN from Yahoo, so it was exciting to have him on. Basically, he knows every single thing about the NBA at all times. Naturally, I asked him about where he gets his glasses from.

Then it was time for Bachelorette talk. Lee is gone, so that awful storyline is finally behind us, but it still leaves a bad taste in the mouth of quite a few viewers. It does feel like things are getting back on track, but we do wonder where things will go regarding Kenny and his family. We also discussed the awkward situation surrounding Will revealing to Rachel that he normally dated white women.

Lastly, we learned quite a bit in today’s episode, because no matter what, people won’t stop sending me idiotic emails. Alas, they must be addressed. Enjoy!

So, President Donald Trump had a pretty eventful weekend. After deciding it was a good idea to openly endorse violence against the media, he doubled down and told the world that one day we would all be forced to acknowledge his accomplishments. Mind you, he’s speaking with quite a few world leaders this week but somehow found the time to drop a Reddit meme on his Twitter feed. Tuesday is Independence Day in the United States of America. Just a reminder of where things are in this nation.

We’ve got another entry into the “things we been done known” category. If you weren’t aware, the specific parts of this nation that make the economy go are typically the most unseen and underappreciated. In other words, the people who do the jobs that some folks think they’re above are beyond vital to making sure that we all can live. So when a new report says Latinos are key to U.S. growth, this is obvious. Because people don’t pay attention to black and brown folks, this is somehow news.

Carmelo Anthony’s life is fascinating. He plays for the New York Knicks but also gets paid a boatload of money to basically just shoot the basketball. He also is married to La La, and that’s come with its own drama. But now, because his team fired Phil Jackson, there’s a thought that he might actually leave New York. Which means he might get to join his close personal friends LeBron James or Chris Paul to hoop wherever he likes. Which means that we might get the banana boat crew back together!

Free Food

Coffee Break: I once met a guy who said that when ordering steak, “anything more cooked than medium rare is uncivilized.” I still laugh at the casual elegance with which he said it, and how he was dead serious in such a matter-of-fact way. Here’s an interesting breakdown of how Americans order their steak. Hint: It’s not a pretty sight.

Snack Time: What if I told you that, in the year of our Lord 2017, Public Enemy was still making music? Would you believe me? Well, you have no choice. Because it’s true.

All Day Podcast: 6/30/17

Hey, gang, I’ve been in California all week, and this episode reflects it. I’m in San Diego, and it’s beautiful out here, so we stuck with a theme of the Golden State for the show. First, I sat down with Amy Aniobi of HBO’s Insecure. She’s the TV producer and writer who’s written and been a part of all sorts of shows from network to cable to the internet.

We talked for nearly a half-hour, and she explained how she got into the TV industry, who her influences were and what she considers to be classic shows. Then, taking things a little more personally, she discussed her feelings about when she felt she really belonged in the Hollywood world. Lastly, I asked her about who among her peers she thought was doing well and what’s next on her plate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQntBFGoNXQ

In the final segment, I had to address something that happened on WWE’s Monday Night Raw. LaVar Ball made an appearance and brought his sons LaMelo and Lonzo, the No. 2 overall NBA draft pick for the Los Angeles Lakers, along too. While they did all the usual promo stuff, things went a tad awry when Melo started dropping N-bombs on a live mic. It wasn’t a great look, but let’s be real. The kid is in high school.

I gave my thoughts on why this will never be a big deal in my world and also point out that Vince McMahon, onetime CEO and owner of WWE, has done the same on the air as well. So, let’s just be real. That’s a far more egregious violation, and most people don’t even know that actually happened.

Overall, New York last week, California this week. We’ll see where next week takes us. Enjoy!

Daily DoseIn this photo taken June 26, 2017, a New York City bus with an advertisement for Jay-Z’s anticipated new album “4:44” turns a corner in midtown New York City.
Earlier this week, Jay-Z announced that official listening parties will take place across the US on June 29. Guest hosts will play the album in specific Sprint stores located in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and more ahead of its June 30 release. / AFP PHOTO / TIMOTHY A. CLARYTIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images

Daily Dose: 6/30/17

9:57 AMI got to ride bikes with an X Games gold medalist Thursday, so that was superfun. I also happen to be really falling in love with the city of San Diego, but that’s a different story for another time.

There was only one way for Jay to go with this new album. He’d done the gimmicky “look at my new partnership deal” already. He’d done the luxury rap nonsense with more than one project. Listening to Shawn Carter stunt on people about how rich he was had already gotten old before he had gotten old. He had to come with some actual dad rap, as in, with the wisdom of a man with kids. He did it. He nailed it, and 4:44 is a fantastic album. Listen to him break down every song and its meaning. Deacon Hov is very much in the building.

When you got a lot going on in your life, you get sleep where you can. If you take public transportation, that can mean sleeping on the bus or the train. For me, this life started back in middle school. After I stayed up all night talking to girls on the phone, the commute across town was definitely sleep time. I’d miss my stop sometimes, but not usually. Somehow I’d trained my brain. As an adult, it served me well too. The question is, how does that actually work? And can you actually get decent sleep that way?

In India, cows are sacred. As a result, many people do not eat beef, and if a cow decides it wants to sit in the middle of a crowded street, you basically just have to deal with it, in your car. Also in India, like pretty much everywhere else in the world, women do not get the respect they deserve. And violence against women is rampant. Various gang rapes have occupied the headlines in recent years, leading to the question: Are cows treated better than women in India? One photographer is raising awareness about this with an incredible picture campaign.

Let me take a wild guess. You don’t spend a lot of time watching polo. You know, the sport where the riders wear white pants and long boots on horses and hit a small ball with a mallet? Aka, horse croquet? To call it old school is a major understatement, and as a result it’s not something that very many black people do. Never mind black women. So when Shariah Harris takes the field at the Greenwich Polo Club’s Silver Cup this weekend, she’ll be the first black woman to play that tier of the game. Good for her.

Free Food

Coffee Break: I’ve been telling you all about 3-on-3 basketball for a while. It’s fun, it’s quick and it’s not gimmicky, which is why it’s coming to the Olympics in 2020. The FIBA U18 World Cup is happening as we speak, and half the fun is a guy named Kyle Montgomery, who’s handling the broadcast. This is worth your time on a side screen.